Why “Basically Amazing”?

How This Blog Got Its Name

Basics: The Gospel Defined

God’s rescue plan for His beloved, self-destructing creation is so straightforward, the whole thing fits in a nutshell: 

Despite being created by God to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever, we have consistently chosen to reject and ignore Him. That’s called sin. Sin deserves death and hell. The only way out is for a sinless substitute to take the wrath we have earned. So Jesus (God the Son) became a man, lived without sin of His own, and then died for ours. Next He rose victorious from the dead. Now He stands ready to make the trade—our sin for His sinlessness. Once the trade has been made, God adopts us as His own children and gives us eternal life. That’s it, the whole Gospel. It is just a simple trade. (See Col 2:13-15, Titus 3:3-8, Rom 3:23-26)

In fact, it is so simple it makes us uncomfortable. The lies are subtle at first. Is it too good to be true? Perhaps we better stir in a few of our own good deeds to prove to God we are worth saving. God helps those who help themselves, right? Salvation may be by faith alone, but afterward we had better work hard to prove we deserve a place in heaven. And just like that, we have fallen for the lies of the enemy. There is nothing we can do to make ourselves desirable to God, yet He desires us anyway. We can’t earn His favor. He bestows it on us freely because of Jesus.  (See Eph 2:8-9) 

Amazement: The Gospel Perceived

Attempting to add complexity to God’s plan is not the only way we risk agreeing with the devil. Sometimes, the ancient truth becomes so familiar that we lose our sense of wonder and joy. Jesus loves me this I <yawn> know. The minute we forget our need and what God has done to meet it, the Gospel is deprived of its glory and we lose the sense of awe. Soon, God feels distant, life feels harder, and we find ourselves just going through the motions. What is the answer? Deliberately placing our minds on God. Delight ourselves in Him and what He has done. (See Col 3:1-3) What if, in the middle of brushing your teeth tonight, you paused to ponder the fact that God became a man and then died for you? Or maybe the next time you’re doing dishes you reflect on the idea that Jesus is alive and interceding before the throne on your behalf? The more we think about it the more amazing it becomes. Nothing can outshine it. But our minds will grow dim if we do not consciously savor it.

Impact: The Gospel Applied

When we learn to treasure the Gospel, every area of our lives will be affected. It is a balm to hurt feelings, anxiety, suffering, and grief. It adds meaning to the monotony of our days. It sucks the sting from our limitations, failings, and incomplete to-do lists. It enhances each blessing we enjoy. It offers us hope, peace, purpose, and life eternal. Such a simple trade. Such profound impact. The Gospel is basically amazing.

Now, let me offer some food for your soul. Ask the Holy Spirit to squash the lies and breathe life anew as you savor these inspired words. Read them slowly, maybe even out loud. May they sink in and overwhelm you.

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:1-10

Photo by Mohamed Nohassi on Unsplash